PSA

My delight that Fair Coinhas been selected as a book for classroom discussion at a Bronx middle school is moderated by sheer horror–one of the things I learned in school is that nothing takes the joy out of a book and reading more than it being assigned as homework. Still, I am honored and intrigued; from what I can tell, what recommends Fair Coin most at the moment is that none of the class has read it yet, and probably hadn’t even heard of it before this.

I don’t know about how well Fair Coin will promote literacy, but I do know how thrilling it is to discover a new book and a new author, especially at a young age, and how much books have shaped the person I am today. I also know how difficult and challenging it is for teachers to get the texts they want for their students. When I was in high school, some of my teachers actually broke the law and photocopied some books at their own expense, because there was no room in the budget for classroom copies. I just can’t believe that schools and libraries have to cut back so much on books and reading programs when developing good reading and reasoning skills is so vital to lifelong success.

I do feel conflicted about personally advertising a Donors Choose project to raise money for a teacher to buy copies of my own book, since it seems a little self-serving. But it’s also, you know, for kids. So if you do have some money you can part with to get children excited about reading and young adult literature and science fiction, I hope you’ll consider donating. Or even consider giving to another classroom for a worthy cause; I’ve given to other projects at Donors Choose to purchase needed books, and the teachers and students have always been very appreciative–and I like knowing that my gift is having a direct impact on learning.

Wait… While technically true, that’s kind of an awful thought, isn’t it? In any case, all I mean is that the All Things Asian webstravaganza ended yesterday. *sadface*

Thank you to everyone who visited the three participating blogs and read all the great posts, commented, entered contests, and helped make this such an exciting, educational, and interesting online celebration. Big thanks to our hosts, who pulled this amazing thing off: That Hapa Chick; iLive, iLaugh, iLove Books; and My Words Ate Me. I was honored to be included in this.

I hope we can continue to think about, discuss, and promote diversity in young adult fiction, and in all areas of our lives. In the meantime, if you missed some of the posts, you can find links to all of them at the main website:

These three blogs are running guest posts and interviews now through April 16 with excellent folks like Jay Kristoff, Ellen Oh, Melissa de la Cruz, and Kat Zhang, among others. I was honored to be invited to contribute something too; an interview with me about my work and relationship with my Asian heritage will appear on April 9, but I’m following and enjoying all the posts, and I hope you will too! I’ve also offered up a Fair Coin prize pack for the All Things Asian giveaway, which includes a signed copy of the book and assorted swag. Giveaways end on April 30.

First of all, I’d like to thank everyone who has done something, anything, to spread the word about me and my debut YA novel, Fair Coin, in the last few weeks. I’ve been overwhelmed by all of your generosity and support. Whether you’ve interviewed me on your site, purchased the book, told your friends and family about it, tweeted, Facebooked, blogged, or reviewed it… It all helps, and I’m so grateful. As much as I’ve been talking about myself here and on social media lately, it doesn’t come naturally. In fact, it makes me a bit uncomfortable, so it’s much easier when other people talk about me instead. And I hope I’ll be able to return this blog to its usual eclectic programming soon!

Some friends have kindly asked what else they can do, such as whether buying it from a particular place is better for me than another. The answer is: Yes, probably. But honestly, I’ve been working on Fair Coin for years and I’m just happy I can finally share my first novel with friends and strangers alike–after all, I wrote it to be read by more than just my family and critique group. As long as you aren’t downloading it illegally or stealing copies, I’m thrilled that you invested hours, days, or weeks to reading it. Hopefully you also enjoy it. I’m even happier if you get the book into the hands of actual teenagers; I hear kids like YA books even more than adults do.

I’ve been learning plenty about book promotion in the last year, and I have discovered some interesting and unexpected things that could influence a book’s sales and long-term success. I will share them with you in case you are inspired to help me become a bestselling young adult author, the better to give my doofy cat the life of luxury she deserves. No pressure. These suggestions can also benefit other authors and books you like, so please consider this a general public service announcement.

Some kind folks have been asking me about my “book tour” for Fair Coin, which so far consists of as many readings and signings as I can arrange on the East Coast within reasonable reach of Philadelphia. I’m working on scheduling more where and when I can, within the constraints of distance, budget, and available vacation time from my day job. Check my Events page to see if I’ll be coming to a venue near you, and I always appreciate recommendations for and to other stores, events, conventions, and activities, including library, school, and Skype visits.

I’m especially pleased and honored to be participating in the annual Teen Author Festival in NYC, an epic week of author panels, readings, signings, and mayhem. I’ve long attended as a spectator, but this is the first year that I’m one of the authors, with my shiny new book! (I’ll also be a spectator.) Most notably, I’ll be in a group signing at Books of Wonder on Sunday, April 1 from 2:45 p.m. to 3:15 p.m., my first public signing in NYC. I hope you’ll drop by, and attend the other events in the Festival. I’ll likely be in the audience from Thursday on. Full schedule below and you can join the Facebook page for the latest information: